A HUGELY popular plan to bring ice skating back to Bracknell is one step closer to reality.
Officers at Bracknell Forest Council have recommended a proposal to build an ice rink at The Western Centre, off Western Road, should be approved.
Dubbed ‘The Ozone Rink’, the new site is being proposed by a former Bracknell Bees player and his business partner.
READ MORE: New ice rink planned for Bracknell Forest
Should planning permission finally be granted next week, the 17m x 34m rink would be surrounded by three changing rooms, a storage space, players benches, men and women’s showers and toilets, a coaches room, a skate hire section, offices and a reception area.
On the first floor, there is planned to be more office space, a bar, more changing rooms and showers, and another training space.
The plan has received huge backing from the community, with more than 300 letters of support sent to Bracknell Forest Council.
READ MORE: First designs for new ice rink in Bracknell revealed
Designs were submitted to the council back in August 2020 just two months after the permanent closure of the John Nike Leisure Complex ice rink and ski slope.
For many of those who have backed the plans, the new rink represents a chance for Bracknell Forest to welcome back ice skating.
One supporter wrote: “[We] totally support this. Young people in Bracknell have little to do and they loved the John Nike centre. Many are devastated that it has closed.
“After all they have been through this year with limited opportunity to be active and social, this will give our young people and alike a real boost.”
READ MORE: New ice rink bosses outline vision for Ozone
Only eight objections were lodged in opposition to the proposal, with detractors’ main concerns including a lack of parking, road safety concerns and the size of the venue.
Despite this, Bracknell Forest Council’s planning department has recommended the plans are given the go-ahead after agreeing this site was the most appropriate place for a new rink.
Councillors will have the final say on the plans when the planning committee meets on Thursday, January 21.
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